Resource Library

COVID-19 Update: The John T. Gorman Foundation is curating a list of resources, emerging best practices, and innovative ideas from across the country to help local organizations serve vulnerable Mainers during the coronavirus outbreak. To access those resources, visit www.jtgfoundation.org/resources/covid-19 or enter Covid-19 in the keyword search. Those results can be further focused by using the “Filter by” menu above to filter by population type (Young Children, Older Youth, Families, and Seniors) or by clicking the following links: childcare, education, food security, housing, rural areas, and workforce.

The John T. Gorman Foundation strives to be data-driven and results based and seeks to promote information and ideas that advance greater understanding of issues related to our mission and priorities. In our effort to promote these values, we offer these research and best practice resources collected from reputable sources across the country. The library also includes briefs and reports the Foundation has commissioned or supported, a listing of which can be found here.

An associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reports on her research on caregiving during the pandemic. An estimated 21.3 percent of Americans, or a total of 53 million people, are unpaid caregivers for relatives and friends. Many of the people they are caring for are elderly, immunocompromised, or have chronic conditions—making them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Precautionary measures like social distancing further complicate the challenges of caregiving and has limited access to paid at-home support. #covid-19

The COVID-19 crisis has had a ripple effect on many aspects of the health care system, including mental and behavioral health providers. Rural areas were already seriously underserved, but getting treatment is becoming even more difficult as clinics close or move to telehealth. Those who do have access to providers may avoid facilities for fear of being exposed to the virus. A facility in Kentucky is working to supplement direct, in-person appointments. Through social distancing and no-contact protocols, they are allowing patients to use the facility’s own computers for telehealth check-ins with other healthcare providers. This fills an important gap, as many in the area do not have home broadband. #covid-19 #mentalhealth #rural

Researchers at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities identify expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) as a potential economic stimulus. Currently, many low-income families do not earn the full $2,000 CTC per child because their incomes are too low. The authors estimate that temporarily making this tax credit fully available would lift 3 million people above the poverty line. This poverty-alleviating measure would also be an effective economic stimulus as low-income families tend to spend this money quickly. Another strategy, rather than full expansion, would be to allow 2020 tax filers to use either their 2019 or 2020 income to calculate their CTC and EITC, as many will have drastically reduced earnings in 2020 due to pandemic-related job losses. #covid-19 #workforce

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities summarizes state efforts to leverage Medicaid in response to the pandemic. Implementing policies that ease access, support social distancing, and strengthen the workforce are especially prevalent, enacted through amendments and special emergency waivers. Maine and other New England states have implemented many of these responses (particularly when compared to states across the South); enactment of specific policies by state are available through CBPP’s maps and tables. #covid-19 #workforce

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also analyzed the recently released national labor force statistics for April 2020. Across demographic groups, they found larger declines in employment for Black or African American (down 18 percent), Hispanic/Latino (down 21 percent), and foreign-born workers (down 21 percent) as compared to white workers (down 16 percent). Low-wage jobs were also disproportionately lost, finding that over half of the 20 million jobs lost were from the lowest-paying industries. In summary, those who already face barriers to economic opportunity were also the hardest hit by these job losses. #covid-19 #workforce

An article from the Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic suggests that the shift to remote K-12 education provides a unique opportunity to increase the connection between schools and families, which can be leveraged to engage in culturally responsive practices. #covid-19 #education

On May 8, the monthly national employment and labor force statistics for April 2020 were released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The staggering estimated jobs lost in April—20.5 million—and the new unemployment rate— jumping to 14.7 percent—have been widely reported. As experts at the Urban Institute highlight, these dismal figures represent the largest job loss recorded in the United States. As these experts also detail, certain populations were hit harder by the pandemic-related shutdowns. The unemployment rate for high school graduates with no college education rose to 17.3 percent, while that of college graduates rose only to 8.4 percent. Also of note, unemployment among teenagers nearly reached 32 percent. #covid-19 #workforce

New research from the Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project finds that food insecurity has skyrocketed amid the pandemic. In a survey of mothers with children under age 12, 17.4 percent reported that since the pandemic, “the children in my household were not eating enough because we just couldn’t afford enough food,” and 3.4 percent reported that this was “often” the case. In 2018, just 3.1 percent of mothers reported children not eating enough, representing a more than five-fold increase. (Related research highlights the disproportionately high rates of pandemic food insecurity for people of color: https://www.cbpp.org/blog/food-security-impactson-people-of-color-highlight-need-for-aid) #covid-19 #foodsecurity

The Center for Law and Social Policy has created a guide for child care stakeholders navigating unemployment compensation during the pandemic. The guide explains new pandemic unemployment insurance (UI) programs that provide compensation for many child care workers who previously did not qualify for benefits, such as those who are self-employed or work part-time. The document also covers the limitations and challenges of accessing unemployment programs. Recommendations for federal and state policy actions are also included, such as expanding UI eligibility, increasing maximum duration and amount of benefits, and clarifying the process for home-based providers. #covid-19 #workforce #childcare

Representative Katherine Clark (D-Mass) and other House Democrats are seeking a $100 billion child care package to both support the sector during the pandemic and also invest in a robust, long-term future. $50 billion would be allocated towards keeping child care providers and their employees afloat during the pandemic, while the other $50 billion would invest in additional infrastructure, increase funding for training and education, and increasing wages of child care workers. #covid-19 #childcare

The Center for Law and Social Policy developed a factsheet summarizing how a federal appropriation of $50 billion to the child care industry could be distributed to each state. This figure of $50 billion in federal aid is from previous analysis that found that the child care system needs at least $9.6 billion each month during the pandemic. The estimates in the factsheet are based on a system of distributing these funds through the Child Care and Development Block Grant state allocation formula. The estimated state allocation for Maine would be $157,235,851 (see factsheet for all state estimates). #covid-19 #childcare

The New York Times reports on how high schools across the country are dealing with grading in the pandemic. Hawaii approved a modification of graduation requirements, and recommended that third quarter grades be treated as final, although many states have not made recommendations, leaving decisions to school districts and resulting in varied approaches. Seattle Public Schools decided that all high school students will receive an A or an incomplete, noting that “grades have historically rewarded students with privilege and penalized others. This issue has become even more apparent during this COIVD-19 emergency.” Similarly, teachers in California’s San Mateo Union High School District support the district’s decision to adopt a credit/no credit grading system. #covid-19 #education